On Hating President Obama

I know many people who not only hate President Obama, but are proud of doing so.

It is a strange thing to hate one’s leader in a Democracy – especially when his election (twice) was by a clear majority.

Hating one’s own leader is doubly strange when the reasons given are incoherent, contradictory and irrational.

I hear many people say “I’m not racist, I just don’t like him!”

Really?

I want to ask these people if they have ever had the same level of vitriolic hatred for any public white person.

Hatred of President George W. Bush was long and loud, but it seems to me that it was much more about what he did – or what was done in his name – than anything personal.

From a contested (at its most generous) first election, to his eager support of two major military expeditions, to his near-constant violations of the Constitution with warrantless wiretapping among other things and his, ahem, supervision of the destruction of the world’s largest economy, there is much justification for hating at least the results of President Bush’s policies.

We may blame these messes on the Bush Administration, but very few people hate President Bush on a personal level.

Have you noticed how hysterical some people get when President Obama comes up in conversation?

Rational discussion becomes impossible and preposterous rumors tend to emerge; “Obama’s going to take our guns” – the reality is that gun sales are up, and any confiscation of guns is either extraordinarily secret or is perhaps not going well, at least not yet.

And for a ‘socialist’, the stock market, and most leading economic indicators are doing remarkably well.

The national debt (remember all the hysteria about it just a few months ago?) has been dropping at the most rapid rate in over 60 years. Violent crime is down, employment is increasing and the real estate market is growing by the day.

So what is the basis of all the furious rage against President Obama’s policies?

Ah yes, health care and Benghazi. Who will care about these issues a year or two from now?

And, of course, the fulminations against President Obama aren’t racist.

Of course not.

The rantings I heard against President Bush were political, Constitutional, legal, ethical and even financial, but almost never personal.

There were many who questioned President Bush’s competence, intention and influences, but few questioned his character.

In contrast, the attacks on President Obama are almost always personal.

What’s the difference?

It’s hard to keep the word ‘uppity’ out of this conversation. President Obama doesn’t seem to ‘know his place’.

A good friend, well-educated and travelled, calls those who voted for President Obama ‘Obama lovers’.

These are the same people who say that President Obama ‘injects race’ into every issue.

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Several people I know have sincerely told me “I’m not racist; I love Colin Powell”.

I respect Colin Powell too, but I was horrified when he publicly lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq to protect his white superiors and colleagues. Powell ‘knew his place’ and refused to run for president.

Colin Powell was what used to be called a ‘good negro’ – one who sacrifices, with a smile, his own integrity, and sometimes personal safety, for the good of his white masters. The term ‘Uncle Tom’ comes to mind here.

Many of us seem to have forgotten, or never knew, the crippling baggage of these Civil Rights era assumptions and phrases.

Many people I know say that they hate President Obama because of how he ‘acts’ and can barely use the word ‘president’ before Obama without spitting.

Racism, of course, has nothing to do with it.

They would feel exactly the same way about a white person who ‘acted’ the same way.

If only they could find one.

A real prophet (risks everything) and speaks truth to power.

A classic example would be Nathan confronting King David with the words “You are that man” (2 Samuel 12:7).

But these would-be prophets don’t speak truth to power – they speak paranoid fantasies to each other – and feel compelled, not to document or prove, or even think rationally, but to outdo each other in the intensity and sheer fear-filled lunacy of their claims.

They don’t speak from the courage of their convictions – in fact their ‘convictions’ change with the seasons. Their ‘courage’ is of the anonymous internet troll or the raging mob.

They have no enduring convictions. In fact they belong to the ideological equivalent of a conviction-of-the-month club. One month it’s the deficit, then the economy, then gun rights, then taxes, then healthcare, then Unions, then Benghazi, then the IRS and then whatever else the spin committee can come up with.

It’s difficult to put aside the feeling that there is a marketing team pulling the strings on these various ‘scandals’.

One of the many ironies is that most of the people I know gleefully follow and spread these ‘scandals’ call themselves Christians.

Anyone with even a glancing familiarity with the Bible knows that we are to pray for our leaders (1 Thessalonians 5:25) and certainly pray, and work for, the prosperity of our communities (Jeremiah 29:7).

These should never be prayers of cynicism or fatalism – do we really believe God would honor such prayers?

And ‘bearing false witness’ should be something we avoid – not take delight in.

Who are we, and what have we become when we pray for, and hope for, the failure of our leaders?

If we do, we are actively and deliberately pursuing our own destruction.

We, like few in the world’s history, have the right, privilege and obligation to support and engage with our political process.

About the Author

Morf MorfordMorf Morford considers himself a free-range Christian who is convinced that God expects far more of us than we can ever imagine, but somehow thinks God knows more than we do. To pay his bills, he’s been a teacher for adults (including those in his local county jail) in a variety of setting including Tribal colleges, vocational schools and at the university level in the People’s Republic of China. Within an academic context, he also writes an irreverent ESL blog and for the Burnside Writers Collective. As he’s getting older, he finds himself less tolerant of pettiness and dairy products.View all posts by Morf Morford →

Great article. Sad commentary. You, however, run with a different crowd than I do. I never hear people speak of President Obama this way. I know people do it. I see it happen on television on talk shows and I read about it in the media. But on a personal level, I do not associate with people who reveal and revel in this kind of bigotry and hypocrisy. I would avoid them for sure but I do not know them. I am a sinner to be sure. I know it. Call me a hypocrite and I will gladly accept the label. I just do not know the people who say these things and I am glad not to know them. I do not go to church. Seems to be the place where a lot of this takes place.

Robert

Wow! To be fair, I saw a lot of the same hatred for Bill Clinton. I’m sorry to say it, but I think any president who believes it is the job of the government to help the disadvantaged in any way, shape or form will be under attack, especially by a large portion of Evangelicals. This means no health care, more guns and no financial assistance for anyone, except the rich. (And then it’s not called financial assistance; it’s called a tax break.)

Tom P

I saw a lot of hatred for the Clintons. I also saw a lot of personal hatred for Bush Jr. Anyone who was anywhere near the anti-war movement in the run up to the Iraq war could not have ignored the fact that Bush was compared to Hitler, that people claim he knew about 9/11 before it happened, even comparing it to the Reichstag fire. In wider society Bush was hated personally for being Texan, talking in a ‘dumb’ way, it was fine to seriously call him a moron and mock him for that rather than his policies, as well as being Evangelical, etc.

Personal hatred of the President seems to be something the United States does whichever party is in power and whichever party is in opposition. Probably due to the massive polarisation in US politics. The real question is, how do we help end that polarisation so that we can actually have a real discussion about the issue?

Frank

I don’t thin its possible to end the polarization. There are two powerful, passionate and opposing world views which shows very little room for movement either way. The challenge is learning to,accomplish things in this environment.

Tom P

Perhaps we can’t end the polarisation but, (and sorry if I sound old fashioned) we must be able to find a way to have civility in politics. Otherwise we will only ever generate heat, not light.

Floridatexan

George W Bush was born in Connecticut, not Texas. His father was a modern-day carpetbagger. It is personal to me with Bush. He committed unforgivable atrocities and kept the country in a constant state of fear. He let personal ambition override common sense…or, alternatively, he knew exactly what he was doing and was promoting a “New World Order”, believing himself a patrician acting through the divine hand of God…the ultimate self-delusion. Hatred of such a man is justifiable.

22044

Some potentially good points here get undermined by Mr. Morford’s naivete about the nature of big centralized government, and how its apologists, including the present occupant of the presidency, seek to seize more power and disrespect the great American experiment of running a democratic republic. By the way, this trend to make the US federal government bigger started around 1912, accelerated in the 1930’s and late 1960’s, and we are in a period where it’s accelerating again.
Folks are trying to speak truth to this concentration of power (i.e. discovering and trying to investigate the various scandals involving the current administration). Their speech often gets ignored or misunderstood, but that does not make it less so.
For those who are Christians, we are called to trust in a sovereign God whose timing and application of justice will be perfect, and to find our sufficiency in that.

Robert Silver

Barack Obama’s title is not “present occupant of the presidency”. He is President of the United States. Your post and your tone only serve to reiterate and reinforce the article you are criticizing and no amount of platitudes and “holier than thou” verbiage can change that.

22044

Sorry Robert, but my description is accurate. It would be for previous Presidents as well.
There are no platitudes or holier than thou in my post either. Try to respond to what I actually wrote, OK?

Robert Silver

Fractal wrongness.

22044

It actually seems to me that some of the blind allegience to Obama in a couple of the other comments reinforce my point as well.

Occupy Christianity

So, you’re saying that the impulse to “seize more power and disrespect the great American experiment of running a democratic republic” took place in the 1910s, 30s, 60s, and today? Really? I’m not going to be an apologist for President Obama’s policies (some of which I vehemently disagree with), but those policies – the wiretapping, the increasing power of the federal bureaucracy – those policies were not ones he began or even accelerated. Look at the big “controversies” – Fast and Furious, wiretapping, etc. – they began in earnest before he even got there! Where’s your righteous indignation at these policies – legacies of the Bush and Clinton years?

Unfortunately, your reply here simply reinforces the main point of the article.

22044

If they are legacies of the Bush and Clinton years, that description will change at some point – to be legacies of the Obama, Bush, & Clinton years. It doesn’t help Obama that he’s turned the volume on those policies “up to 11″.
But that’s a natural consequence when you advocate for big centralized government.
As far as the periods I noted, the trend to make the federal government bigger is been going on since the beginning of the 20th century, but those periods mark when that trend was particularly accelerated.

otrotierra

Thank you, Morf, for rightfully calling out these well-documented lies. And because Jesus never taught his followers to lie, we must ask:

in whose other name do these Evangelicals spread lies and deceit?

annoyedbybleadinghearts

Lying about what?

Khan Matin

I don’t know what world you live in, but I know lots of people who hate Bush and worship Obama, in fact they easily outnumber the Obama haters.

John

I think you are right in your assessment that there is a lot of negativity/prejudice/hate toward Obama which has its roots in racism, and I like your reference to the mass denial America seems immersed in. You only need to look at the extreme political satire (there have been some outrageously racist cartoons, for example), the shouting out of “you lie!” by congressman Joe Wilson, and the birther movement, to name a few. In fact, I’m a bit surprised you haven’t leapt on some of the more obvious examples.

The potential problem is that when people claim in rebuttal that people really did hate Bush, Jr, and some people most certainly did, vehemently, personally (you only need to briefly scan the non-fiction section of the Bush years for confirmation), it potentially weakens your case.

I remember when Obama was elected, they interviewed a black woman in Washington, DC, and she just shook her head morosely. “It’s just sad they’re going to kill him.” She was so aware of the racism which was about to erupt across the country, she couldn’t even imagine a future in which he survived his term(s) in office.

I think this is one of those cases where you need to admit the other examples, not to weaken the outrages against Obama, but in fact to strengthen them. It’s not that it’s never happened before. It’s that they’re different this time.

Thanks for writing this. It’s a conversation that needs to keep happening.

http://snommelp.tumblr.com/ Snommelp

I had to ignore facebook during the height of the 2012 election, because far too many “Christians,” on both sides, were talking as if their candidate of choice would save America, and the opponent would bring about a Great Tribulation (though only a few actually used that phrase). I couldn’t handle the religious fervor with which people viewed their mortal, imperfect, human candidate of choice.

It was also rather strange that people who had openly stated that Mormons are not Christians were favoring a Mormon as the Christian choice, but really, it was the thinly-veiled idolatry that made my soul hurt.

Tangent done, I agree, Morf: it’s painful when people hate Obama, or anyone, for no good reason. It’s painful when Christians hate any person made in the image and likeness of God. Hate his policies, despise the decisions you disagree with – but he is still a child of God.

John

Amen.

RealityBites

Funny how some people (Baptists especially) swear up and down that Mormons are not Christians yet they act more like Christ than most Christians ever do! They help each other when they are down, like Christ would. In fact they use the same KJV Bible the other Christian churches use, and I bet not a lot of people know that. The Book of Mormon is not an addition to the Bible it is simply a revelation from God to Joseph Smith. In fact many NON Mormon scientists have proven that what is in the Book of Mormon is indeed so. Interesting huh?

jim

there is not a archeologist alive that would bet his PhD. on the legitimacy of the Book of Mormon.

RealityBites

Do you deny scientific evidence then?? OK then I guess you’ll have to talk to some Mormons

jim

Quite to the contrary my friend, scientific evidence as we understand it, and the bible as we understand it, work in great harmony.

This is why I mentioned the archeologist, in relationship to the Book of Mormon. Archeology includes tenets of the hard sciences. There is not a shred of evidence of the validity to Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, or D & C.

This reminds me of Jehovah Witnesses supposed inspired book, “the New World Translation” of the Bible, and their supposed inspired Watchtower and Awake publications.

Or Christian Scientists supposed inspiration of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures

Plus what seems to be a growing list of other groups with so called “inspired” writings, that are in conflict with sound biblical teaching.

People, in the name of religion, will go to amazing lengths to write something contrary to the scriptures (bible), and call it new revelation.

Frank

How true. Just look at the made up theology proudly espoused right here on this site at times.

http://snommelp.tumblr.com/ Snommelp

In fairness, you didn’t actually present evidence, just the notion that evidence was out there, so Jim was less denying scientific evidence, and more claiming that he doesn’t think the evidence actually exists. I’m sure if you provide that evidence, we can have a rational discussion about it.

RealityBites

You would have to ask a Mormon, but from what my Mormon roommate has told me there is evidence that Jesus was in the Americas at one time, and apparently Joseph Smith found golden tablets that represented the 10 commandments. There’s more but I’ve forgotten it all

Frank

I think this misses the mark. Yes there are some people who actively hate other people ( yes some still hate him because he is black much like many hated Bush because he was an evangelical from Texas) but if Obama changed his policies the same people you accuse of hating him would love him.

I am not an Obama fan because of his policies and positions not because of who he is. I like him as a person.

22044

When Senator Tom Coburn, who is a friend of Obama although they have different views, is now looking at the Obama administration’s lawlessness and considering that articles of impeachment might be appropriate, that is a telling development.
So it is definitely possible to like him as a person (I hope I can call Obama a brother in the Lord), while believing that his policies and governance are improper.

John

Coburn’s comments might be telling, but they are more telling about the political machinations of the Republican party than they are about any sort of high crimes and misdemeanours, about which no one seems to have any generalities, let alone specifics.

I think the whole impeachment agenda is a great way to get 8 years of President Clinton.

22044

I kind of agree, actually. Talking about grounds for impeachment and actually pursuing it is many miles apart – especially since Democrats in the Senate keep supporting Obama – to the point that some of them risk serious alienation from their constituents.

ZaMan

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http://margieleeh.blogspot.com/ Margie Hearron

Great piece. Thank you for writing it. I wish I could put this in the hands of numerous people. I did share it on my social media sites. Again, thanks for writing “Truth.”

Sean Ealy

I was for President Obama both elections, and I too am tired of some of the hateful commentaries that seem to be racially motivated. I think a lot of people are weary of the things that go on in secret though. Executive orders. The broad reach of NSA surveillance on American citizens. And I don’t think that we will forget about the health care act in a year since we are only now seeing the consequences of the reform, its cost on the country and individuals. And now that we are on the brink of another middle east intervention, I remember a man who promised to end our warmongering policies, not exacerbate them. I personally like Obama, but now into his second term there are some policies and interpretations of laws that trouble me.

Steve

I don’t know what planet you were on when Bush was president. Not hateful?? How many times was he publicly compared to Hitler? The films that depicted his assassination as something desirable? You seem to have an extremely selective memory.

RealityBites

They hated him because no one wanted to go into Iraq, especially when the rest of the world realized someone had been lying all along, then the big question was “where’s your head at GWB??”

jake

Of course we won’t mention things like the Bush people throwing a man in jail for wearing an anti war t shirt.
Or that skinhead wannabe punk waving a confederate flag at the White House and raising it to the same level as the noble Marine Corps banner,which was an insult to anyone who ever wore an American military uniform. Or sarah Pali9n shaking hands with the guy,just before her ‘shuckin and jiven’ speech.

Ys Bush was hated,and for good reason. Tanking the economy with his wholesale deregulation and slight of hand economics. Getting us into a war of aggression based exclusively on not faulty intelligence,outright lies. The Iraq war was ot about WMDs it was not about oil,it was not about freedom for the Iraqi people. It was about vengence.
5,000 Americans and 100,000 Iraqi innocents died to satify a personal vendetta,

Drew

I completely agree with this article.

It’s entirely okay to not like policies and thus not like a politician. However, all the racist stuff, all the birther stuff, all the Muslim stuff, all the Michelle Obama jokes, is just ridiculous. It certainly smacks of racism, and I’m the last person you’ll see bringing the topic up.

Although I voted for Obama twice, I certainly see how you could have an intense dislike based on policies alone, but rarely do I see a lot of folks stick with the policies when it comes to Obama.

John

Thanks for this, Drew.

RealityBites

Especially when there is no actual proof that he is Muslim. Michelle and the girls don’t run around covered from head to toe, he hasn’t killed his daughters for being too “westernized” the way people in that religion are supposed to, and frankly its just a myth people love to cling to.

annoyedbybleadinghearts

Your blind allegiance to this president is mind numbing. The spin committee just comes up with all these ‘scandals’. That can’t honestly be a serious statement. You diminishing those scandals only proves what everyone else knows about people that support the prez. Believing he can do no wrong. Bored already

Michael

I despise Obama.

But let me change the subject for a second. I used to be a very conservative Christian. Not just conservative but sectarian. The path that led to me completely changing my views on God and Christianity was long and involved a lot of emotional turmoil.

But eventually I came through it with new outlook. One of the first places I looked to hear new Christian voices was on-line. I started following lots of progressive and moderate blogs.

One by one, I’ve stopped following all those blogs but one–9 or 10 in all. In each case, I stopped reading it because I came to dislike the bloggers. The only one, I’ve kept up with is RLC.

I’ve been wondering why I even bother with RLC. I dislike most of the bloggers because most of the posters hate me.

But what shocks me this morning is how all the commenters feel. I guess I’m rambling. I’m really at a loss for world. I guess I’ll just stop now.

John

Thanks for sharing this, Michael. I think it’s always good to be reminded that we are all midstream in our journeys. I find the people who are most opposed to me in the comments make me sharpen my thinking, and the ones who say things I find shocking and even rude sometimes bring me closer to Jesus in unexpected ways. And I don’t think there’s a single commentator with whom I haven’t agreed at some point. And most of them, many times.

But it’s not always easy, is it?

I for one greatly appreciate your perspective, and your outspokenness. The conversation would be poorer without you.

Dennis L

They hated President Bush, they hated President Clinton. The writer deeply wants to blame racism, but it’s just hate, and mostly hatred of the stupid policies he pushes. It’s simple to call it race, but there is a very negative side to calling everyone a racist who doesn’t agree with Mr. Obama’s policies. The author doesn’t care. He must have had his head deeply buried somewhere during the last two administrations. I heard worse things said about Clinton and Bush then I have ever heard about Obama. In fact, I think people are extra careful due to the racist label being so misused and hurting good people who just care about the country.

RealityBites

I think some people just hate Democrats period.

annoyedbybleadinghearts

Oh and the reverse isn’t true about other political affiliations. Gimme a break

RealityBites

It is a lot more prominent when the Democrats are in charge. We saw it with Clinton also.

annoyedbybleadinghearts

How is it more prominent. I would say it is equal at best. Can you give any evidence other than what your perception leads you to believe.

RealityBites

No one gave President Obama a chance, even before he got elected people were lying up and down about his citizenship, where he was born, his religion or lack of, and the list goes on. Same deal with Clinton. NO ONE cared about his sex life until women started coming out saying he “did something” to them even if there was no actual evidence to prove it.

Frank

That’s the state of our political system itself, sadly. Which is why it illogical to look for solutions through our government.

Dennis L

I agree Frank! It’s gone over the top and it’s so in bed with journalists, who are no longer reporting news but creating it to their liking. For me, I am just tired of being called a racist simply for agreeing or disagreeing with someone. There are things about Mr. Obama’s policies like and others I feel are short sighted and outright moronic. I was the same with Bush and Clinton. But with the current President, any disagreement gets labeled racist. It’s really sad!

22044

Spot on, Dennis.

I guess there’s a silver lining, at least for me…I am challenged to frame my arguments to hopefully persuade or at least equip others and pass any test of being called a racist, but some people remain obtuse and stuck.

SamHamilton

…NO ONE cared about his sex life until women started coming out saying he “did something” to them…

Well, yeah. I would expect people to become more interested in the President’s sex life if women started accusing him of sexually harassing them. There’s a reason why no one cares about President Obama’s or George Bush’s sex life.

22044

In a way, it was a detriment that people became interested in Clinton’s sex life…it ended up being a squirrel that distracted from the real point, that he lied to a grand jury to deny one of his accusers her legitimate day in court. He made a deal to surrender his law license to avoid being tried for perjury when he left office.

SamHamilton

I don’t know… If the guy was abusing his position of power to make sexual advances towards women who worked for him, that’s worthy of at least a little attention. And if the man in question hadn’t been Bill Clinton, Democrat sweetheart, he would have been run out of town. But yeah, lying in court to keep secrets hidden was pretty bad too.

22044

Certainly, the details of the abuse of power are important.

Val

” There’s a reason why no one cares about President Obama’s or George Bush’s sex life.”

Are you sure?

People bring up whether or not President Obama is gay or not quite often.

Yah Saves

” people were lying up and down about his citizenship, where he was born, his religion or lack of, and the list goes on. ”

Lying? They were right. It’s time to face the facts. Yes, FACTS. The birth certificate presented by Obama is a FAKE. Period. Every document analyst on the planet has said it is a fake. This country needs a slap across the face. There is no excuse for being this stupid. Stop it.

RealityBites

NO they were wrong but aren’t smart enough to locate Hawaii on a map

Yah Saves

“aren’t smart enough”
says the mental giant who voted for Obama- the dumbest man in America.

EVERY document analyst on planet Earth knows it is a FAKE. A five year old can see it. What the hell is wrong with idiots like you???? Barry, er, I mean Jay Bounel, errr, I mean Barrack Hussein has dozens of SSN’s, and the selective service card is also a fake. The country has been taken, and thus your family will endure the loss of liberty and you champion the cause. You are an ignorant disgrace and don’t ever call yourself my countryman. May your chains rest lightly upon you.

RealityBites

You’re still bonkers but I’m not surprised. Birthers. Geographically illiterate and nuttier than fruitcakes

Yah Saves

EVERY document analyst on planet Earth ………. you complete and utter moron.

RealityBites

GIVE UP!!!!! You’ve had 5 years since the President has been in office and haven’t proved jack. NO sane person believes you anymore

RealityBites

Give up. You’ve had 5 years, ain’t proved squat

Yah Saves

The evidence, my historically challenged friend, is in the document submitted by the fraud in chief. It has been deemed a FAKE by EVERY document analyst on the planet. And since a five year old can see it’s a fake, I assume you also know it’s a fake but don’t really care about it due to the initial following his name. There are few things more revolting than you. Ebola, open borders, Bengazi, IRS, NSA, DOMA, undeclared wars, etc etc etc, all mean nothing ….unless a Rebublican is responsible. You demoncrats are disgusting little varmints….and are enemies of freedom. And YES, I have indeed “given up” on my fellow Americans. Too many are like you-stupid on steriods.

SamHamilton

Of course they do. No one’s denying that. And some people just hate Republicans.

SamHamilton

I agree Dennis.

Chaprich

Perhaps, but Clinton’s and Bush’s Methodist Christianity was not questioned as is the President’s faith (accused of being a closet Muslim). Nor was Bush’s and Clinton’s birth status ever questioned, like “birthers” do of the current President. You can hate the policies, but we CANNOT hate the persons who develop, vote for, and implement hated policies. If Barak Obama were white and named “Barry O’Brien” the dislike of policies would be a lot less vitriolic.

@gijanetexas

You know it’s racism with President Obama if the subject is how dare he use mustard, have a Marine hold an umbrella, bow to a world leader, use executive orders, take a vacation , etc, and a five minute internet search shows either Bush or Uncle Ronnie doing the exact same thing. Or you go to the Facebook page of an anti-Obama group and when you look at the photos in the albums they are mostly making fun of black people or the making fun of the Obama family. But the veiled racism isn’t the worst part, there are plenty of people who don’t have a problem flat out calling calling him the “N” word to eliminate any doubts about their intentions.

bluecenterlight

I voted for Obama the first time but quickly saw that it was more of the same. I really don’t see much difference between him and Bush and quite frankly any President we have had in the last few decades. I think he is a perfect example of the fact that you have to sell your soul to get into office. You become a slave to all of the asses you had to kiss to make it there and you become a shill for the rich and powerful. Sadly, hope for change quickly evaporated and left me more cynical than ever.

RustbeltRick

There’s a certain stripe of Christian (and by certain stripe, I guess I mean 80 percent of white evangelicals) who just flat hate the idea of Democrats in power. The Obama hatred is just warmed over Clinton hatred, and the fact that he’s black certainly adds a dimension. They also hate Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, and they hated John Kerry with a passion while he ran for president and now don’t really care, so I still think it is just a general hatred for anyone who is pro-choice, pro-labor, pro-infrastructure, pro-education. When Hilary runs, the folks who just love Jesus so much will be loud and clear about how much they hate her, too.
Lots of churchy people hated Abe Lincoln, too. I’m not sure what it is about progressive ideas that just floors religious folk, but it is weird how often American saints are on the wrong side of history. I’m not saying Obama is Lincoln, but I do belive the anti-Obama rhetoric will prove another historic embarrassment for the evangelical church.

Frank

How shocking that a Christian would be against:

Abortion
Gay “marriage”
More Ceasar in our lives

Nothing to be embarrassed about being against those things.

John

Surely you recognise, Frank, that there are plenty of things in the Republican agenda which go against Christian teaching. Allying Jesus with American politics on either side is just a bad idea. It pushes people away. It secularises. I firmly believe that you can be informed by faith in political situations, but I really don’t think for a moment that Jesus would arrive in America and want to vote for either side.

Frank

I never said Jesus would ally with any political party but the democratic platform is not something that a Christian in good conscience can support. Jesus would be pro-life, anti-abortion, for His design for marriage and to let Caesar have what is Caesar. That much I do know.

RustbeltRick

And when your party was authorizing torture, did you renounce your membership in it? Were you disgusted by the way it was rationalized and defended?

Frank

I am an independent.

22044

There’s more:
Obama is the President but he wants to be a dictator. Many Democrats in power have that tendency, but he has expressed it more brazenly than anyone else. Many Republicans in power, unfortunately, fare no better.

He wanted to unilaterally strike Syria, a bad move in any scenario made worse when doing so without making the case to Congress.

He also wants executive power to murder US citizens abroad, using drones.
Those things should legitimately scare people.

John

Don’t you think Nixon and Bush, Jr, would be the two presidents since the end of WWII who have epitomised the desire for dictatorship more strongly than any others? FDR during the war would be a contender. Maybe Andrew Jackson in the previous century. I have to think that Obama will be seen as a type, of a president representative of a change in the Executive starting with Reagan, and ending who knows when, but I don’t think history will remember him as “dictator-in-waiting”.

22044

Nixon, yes. Bush, no. FDR, yes (my comment above referring to the 1930s is based on FDR). Jackson, perhaps. I’ve seen some analyses by some columnists that Obama compares most to Nixon. Maybe there is disagreement there, but the case is building for that.

You might disagree with the wars started during the Bush years, but he always worked with Congress which approved the engagements & funding – and that continued into Obama’s term. In fact, the war in Afghanistan that started with Bush’s & Congress’ approval continues. For the record, there are things that Bush did that I disagree with. However, he also forecasted the housing bubble and proposed needed reform of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, but Congress refused to cooperate with him on those.

Obama is developing a record of select enforcement of laws – even the health care disaster that passed 3 years ago…i.e. he’s issued several orders to postpone some of the provisions of that law. A law is supposed to work as passed and not be subject to unstable discretionary interpretation. We also see the debate on expanding rights for immigrants, but we don’t have a good basis for moving ahead, because the current administration is selective in its enforcement of immigration law as well. If new laws are passed there, they won’t really help the people that they would claim to help, because our governance/enforcement is inconsistent.

John

I was always shocked how Congress constantly went along with Bush, Jr. I’m not sure that changes my comment, but simply changes the complicity of the legislature.

I have to say, writing from the UK, and not knowing the exact implementation of Obama’s health care initiative, I wouldn’t give up the NHS for anything.

Case in point:

My son has a blood disorder. We have opted to not treat it medically. It’s not very life threatening. The principal long-term treatment is splenectomy. Having a splenectomy is 6 times more life threatening than my son’s condition. But, having spoken to my brother who is a doctor in California, in America, they would have insisted on him having a splenectomy by now. Why? To avoid being sued. So, actually, living with a National Health Service, I have more freedom. I am in charge of my son’s health in a way which would be made very difficult in the US.

And of course my son gets to have insurance. Like everyone else. In spite of his condition. And as long as we have the NHS, that will never be questioned.

I’m not sure if I have the best health care in the world. But I’m quite convinced that America does not.

John

I think you’re right about immigration. No one in America wants to talk about immigration. They just want to win elections, so they say what they think their side wants to hear. That’s slight conjecture, but it does seem to be borne out by the facts.

22044

Personally, I’m glad you have a solution that sounds like is best for your son.
You’ve made the point about having more freedom. The effects and consequences of implementing the Unaffordable No-Care Act will, when measured on a national scale, result in less freedom for most folks to consider health-care options. Many people can no longer afford the insurance that was satisfactory for them, will end up taking governmental insurance, and will get insufficient care if they need it (insurance is only good to the extent that the needed actual health care is delivered…as I’m sure you know.)
If the law here was so good, it shouldn’t have granted exemptions from it to the White House, Congress, and many large corporations and other related parties. Many people here are upset about it, including folks who originally thought it was a good idea.

RustbeltRick

Obama, the guy who just a few days ago asked Congress to authorize force in Syria, wanted to “unilaterally strike Syria”? Except he didn’t do that, at all. That’s the thing about blind hatred — it doesn’t deal in facts at all. I think your five-year beef is against Pretend Obama, the guy who was going to “institute Death Panels”, and not against Actual Obama, the guy who reformed healthcare but somehow left Big Insurance untouched and profitable. Pretend Obama is a Marxist-Socialist, and Actual Obama has overseen a fabulous streak on Wall Street and in corporate boardrooms. Pretend Obama is a secret Muslim, and Actual Obama eloquently expressed his Christian conversion. Sure, go ahead and insist on your narrative. It’s kinda sad, and (when you doubt the man’s salvation) kinda blasphemous.

22044

It has been discovered that Obama didn’t want to seek approval from Congress. It ended up being a political move when Great Britain pulled out of joining with US forces to do so. So my point stands there.
We have to be concerned that “Death Panels” are coming, when the law delegates the management of government insurance to the IRS. We see how well that should work…
Any additional profit from Big Insurance would likely be short-lived, as more people can’t afford insurance from the big companies and sign up for the exchanges. The law is intended to eventually collapse the entire insurance industry, destroying the good with the bad, to be replaced by an inefficient, impersonal government program.
I’m sure that people who support Obama don’t really tout that the Dow & other market indexes have gone to record highs, because that’s no measure that he might support those who are left behind, who likely have little to no participation in the securities markets.
I’ve not made any claims that Obama is a Muslim or Socialist. He is, by his own words, an advocate for big centralized government at the expense of disrespecting Constitutional limits.
I’m not so sure Obama eloquently expresses his Christian conversion. If he does so in speeches that doesn’t count. Anyone can read or even write a good speech. In his interviews he expresses some ideas that go against some of the essentials of the orthodox Christian creed. Not a dealbreaker by itself…however:
He does not stand up for Christians in America or around the world when their rights are abused or if they suffer persecution.
He advocates for as many abortions as possible, unleashing his Justice Department to sue state governments that try to drop Planned Parenthood funding or pursue other pro-life policies.
I can’t judge if he is a Christian, but I can and must examine his fruit. It’s pretty rotten stuff.

annoyedbybleadinghearts

Reformed healthcare. Really it is proving to be more of a disaster everyday. If it is such a good law why is he waiting to implement the individual mandate. Try getting your news from more than just people you agree with. As much as I disagree with what RLC stands for I still come here to try and understand the worldview that is supported here.

annoyedbybleadinghearts

Yeah I don’t like democrats in office just like it is plainly obvious you don’t like republicans. What is the problem. I guess there is no virtue in being pro -life according to you. If your going to preach back it up with some context. Something I know is all to often lost on progressives.

career educator

If all a person is,is anti abortion,but favors capitol punishment,war,letting people go hungry,or die of treatable illnesses,then you are pro birth,not pro life. Conservatives are running out of old white,rich born again hate mongers and modern day pharasees and their mindless Stepford wive,who are afraid to take a rest room break without hubbys permission. BUGGA BUGGA! America is getting darker and you cannot do a thing about it.

SamHamilton

As someone who tends to be more politically conservative, I’m embarrassed by what some people on the right say about our President, particularly the criticism that is racially-tinged. There is definitely hate out there. Morf is right about that.

But this hate on the right existed before President Obama. There were people who hated President Clinton and Hillary Clinton. There were all sorts of conspiracy theories about them back in the 1990s (remember who killed Vince Foster?). I’d argue that the hate felt for President Obama has little to nothing to do with his race, even the hate that is expressed in racially tinged language. The haters are using his race as a weapon or a way of criticizing him. But it is not what drives them; what drives them is his political affiliation and his policies. As another person noted, do you really think all these supposed racists would be expressing themselves this way if it was a black Republican in the White House? If it was Herman Cain or Ben Carson and Allen West? I highly doubt it. It’s hateful politics, not race.

And I’d like to echo something John pointed out. Morf greatly weakens his case when he tries to imply that the hate directed from the left at President Bush was somehow different. Judging from his picture, Morf didn’t come of age in 2008. He should know better. I think he’s just romanticizing the past a bit. The left hated Bush because he was a Republican, from Texas, an evangelical. He tawked funny. He was stoopid. He came from a wealthy family, born of privilege, etc. There’s a reason CBS comedy host Craig Kilborn did his “snipers wanted” bit during the 2000 GOP convention. And it wasn’t because he predicted the Iraq War.

If you want to remind yourself of the hate directed at Bush, visit this website: http://www dot zombietime dot com/zomblog/?p=621 (replace “dot” with a period)

You don’t have to read about it, just look at the pictures. Then there’s all the stuff you could buy on the internet…pictures of Bush with fangs biting the bleeding neck of the statue of liberty, pictures of Bush and Cheney dressed like Hitler, t-shirts with all sorts of profanity related to Bush on them, etc. I could go on with examples of this stuff.

There were nutty conspiracy theories too: 9/11 was an inside job, or at least “Bush new” and let it happen so he could invade Iraq (remember when Rep. Keith Ellison [D-MN] compared it to the Reichstag fire?), Bush wanted to steal Afghan/Iraqi oil, Bush was secretly planning to bring back the draft/establish a dictatorship/find a way to serve more terms, etc.

Again, the left and the right both engage in this stuff. It’s not really race based, though it may look like it at times. Both sides will use whatever tools are available to them. It’s wrong and should be condemned. But we can’t act like it’s all the other side’s fault or try and label anyone who rants about Obama’s policies a racist.

linda_marie

I thought I posted on here, but it must have been on FB…

The whole reason I will not share this article is that I’ve lost too many “conservative” friends over President Obama and/or progressive ideas already.

I see racism — there’s not much else that’s logical… but I also seen cruelty within the Christian religion…

Tara

Calling anyone an “Uncle Tom” is a racially charged, and un-Christlike position. While I agree that much of the right has made very personal attacks against President Obama, and that some of that is rooted in hardly disguised racism, it is equally racist to use the epithet “Uncle Tom” to describe another African American leader. Neither position is defensible. Shame on your Mr. Monford and Shame on Red Letter Christians for printing this diatribe that characterizes others with the very same assumptions that you are criticizing them for using against the President. For Christ in the red letters said anyone who calls his brother a name is in danger of the “very fires of hell” and whatever an individual interprets that to mean: its not a good thing. I wonder how this conversation could be elevated above name calling at the other side?

Tom P

Agreed. Thank you for saying this. Calling Colin Powell a ‘good negro’ is disgusting. Would he also say the same about other Black Conservatives? Are Condoleezza Rice and Clarence Thomas also Uncle Tom’s?

I get the impression from this article that the only way to not be called an Uncle Tom or a ‘good negro’ is to be politically liberal. And there is something very racist about saying “if your race is X, then the only correct political positions you can hold are y”.

jake

would you prefer oreo cookie?

breid1903

my take is that i must be a libcon or conlib. i don’t believe in killing unborn or born. i’m peachy with all the killing people to kill themselves if they need a little killing in their life. peace up. billy

Yeah…

The argument “no one will care about those in 2 years from now” is the worst arguement I’ve ever heard. Saying that right after you say use logic and reason… Your argument is being hurt by your own argument…

Joshua Shanholtz

Has Illuminati built The third Temple Yet? Are Americans Still Sending
Aborted Fetuses To Moloch @ Bohemian Grove? What year is this? Have the Two Witnesses Arrived Yet? When do the horrid horrid plagues Start?

Joshua Shanholtz

…………………Has Illuminati built The third Temple Yet? Are Americans Still Sending
Aborted Fetuses To Moloch @ Bohemian Grove? What year is this? Have the Two Witnesses Arrived Yet? When do the horrid horrid plagues Start?

Joe Betsill

I was excited to see an article attacking the hateful words and attitudes about President Obama expressed by way too many Christians, but this was not it. One cannot fairly conclude that all negative criticism of Obama is racist or justify the attack of another fine black leader like Colin Powell in defense of Obama. I hope someone else writes a fair and balanced article that I can share with my Christian friends….

True Believer

This man speaks as a fool….He has no clue whats going on…Or maybe he does, and wishes to fool everyone else…I’ll pray for my leader, but I do not in any way, as a Christian support anything he stands for….if you can’t see how far from God this man is, you’re obviously not in the faith and are already a part of the Great Delusion, completely blind from truth…and yes….I am a black man-

Samalabear

Indeed. He should start reading Paul Street, Glen Ford and Bruce Dixon over at Black Agenda Report, if he really wants to know. Let’s check out the people Obama threw under the bus on his way to the top — all black. Who does Obama really admire? People like Jamie Dimon and Lawrence Summers — and that’s just two. There’s a whole closetfull of them in his past. Listen to people like Cornell West, Tavis Smiley and others on Obama. Cornell West has actually been called “racist” because he no longer supports the man who he helped greatly get elected in 2008.

Rhonda Hunt

What I dislike is calling our president Muslim and to go back to Kenya! or that he wasn’t born in the United States and actually had to produce a birth certificate to prove it. Criticize his policies, his performances, but stop attacking him with lies.

RealityBites

Unfortunately hating President Obama is the agenda of the right. They accept myths as gospel and refuse to acknowledge refutations.

Charles Benson

How about Obama putting members of the Muslim Brotherhood in high office through-out the land, how about the fact that said Muslm Brotherhood is for Sharia law, and for making all other religions illegal, how about making it legal to put any American in prison without a trial, since blacks voted for Obama without any answer as to why other than him being black, there are hundreds of reasons for people to dislike Obama other than his race, they are called executive orders.

arizona jack

Here we go again. Obama haters finding a conspiracy behind the very rocks they crawled out from under. The Constitution forbids the use of religious law in this society,despite efforts to turn America into a Christo-Facist theocracy.And yes,Bush economic policies DID cause the 2008 meltdown. Wholesale deregulation of Wall Street,allowing them to destroy the housing market. Obama has issued fewer executive orders than either Bush,Clinton or Regan.Here is the truth. If Obama were a white conservative from Canada,with the same policies,you right wing nut jobs would be calling him some kind of half bakes Messiah,anf killing yourselves trying to get close enough to kiss his feet.

Charles Benson

And by the way, how about Operation Fast and Furious, where the ATFB bought 1700 assault rifles and sold them to the drug cartels in Mexico, for the purpose of making it appear the cartels were getting weapons from the United States, that one would have looked good for the destruction of the 2nd amendment had the internet not exposed them, and I notice Eric Holder is still in office, it is another one just swept under the rug.

Edouard D’Orange

So wrong you are. Who will bring up health care and Benghazi a year from now? Everyone. And it’s only gonna get louder and more vociferous.
Bush DID NOT destroy the economy. You suffer from BDS, bush derangement syndrome. You know nothing about the financial meltdown in 2008. Go read Thomas Sowell, a black conservative, by the way. This is the stupidest statement that you make. YOU have no clue of how the stock market has been raised by the Federal Reserve’s QE (do I have to explain) and how their low interest policies hurt the older savers who earn no interest.
YOU say that the debt has gone down, but you have confused the debt and the deficit. The debt has been increasing exponentially in the last 5 years, from $10 trillion to over $17 trillion. YOU MEANT the deficit which has decreased from annual DEFICITS of a trillion to about $650 billion in the last fiscal year. How can anyone take you seriously when you don’t have the basic facts correct?
YOU really are the hater. YOU throw in a few bible quotes and call yourself Christian. YOU say the dislike, or hate, for President Obama is all racially motivated, but you haven’t listened to or refuted any of the arguments for opposition. YOU decry politics by others when your whole article is politically motivated.

arizona jack

So what was the Bush answer to HIS economic meltdown? European style austerity,which bankrupted half the nations on that continent,and sent the rest into double dip recession.It was not Obama that started two wars on credit,one of which was nothing more than a personal vendetta,that cost the lives of nearly five thousand Americans,and thousands of Iraqi innocents to satisfy. He squandered a surplus,gave tax cuts to the rich in WAR time,something no other President did, Talk about fast and furious, How about the so called Patriot Act that spied on civilians,even to the point of seeing what library books they took out. How about secret torture chambers,and Dick Cheney profiting off the war with ILLEGAL no bid contracts to his own Company! Bush the Destroyer,and his chicken hawk,draft dodging cabinet are war criminals,and todays Tea Party puppets in Congress,should all be tried for treason for trying to destroy the government.

Paul O.

Don’t people realize that all these things they complain about, (ie. Executive Orders, NSA) went on way before Obama and will be going on way after he is gone. Lots and lots of people don’t even realize that they are racists.

arizona jack

Yes,they do realize they are being racist,they just don’t care. After all,many of these people profess to be “christian” yes do things like blaming gays for 9/11 and insisting that God hates.

RobJ

Did this guy just call Colin Powell an Uncle Tom yet call people who disagree with Obama racist?

OBozO is presiding over the most corrupt administration in American History. He lies with impunity, the liberal commie media adores him for it. He hates all things American our Patriots, our Veterans, and the millions of Christians in this Country. He is a fraud and usurper and should be in Prison. Not the Whitehouse.

Jacob Eagleshield

What amazes me is all the unChristian hate filled rhetoric from people who claim to be devout Christians. I’ll tell you who the usurpers are Pat Robertson,Oral Roberts,Jimmy Swaggart, Hagee,Reed, Parsley,and all the other modern day Pharasees